The invention relates to a connector assembly comprised of a socket and plug assembly, particularly for automotive use.
Automotive connection systems exist in the form of socket and plug connectors, where the socket connector includes a plurality of upstanding pins and/or tabs to provide a plurality of signal and/or power lines to various parts of the automobile. Many times harnesses must be assembled and/or preassembled, where one part of the connector is not mated with the corresponding connector until some time further in the overall automobile assembly process. Thus, this requires a great deal of care for socket connectors of the type having a header and a plurality of upstanding tabs and/or pins.
In some connection systems, the headers are provided with freestanding pins without any type of support surrounding the pins. In other connection systems, alignment plates are provided but are cumbersome in nature, as they add overall height to the socket connector. In other words, adding a vertical dimension of an alignment plate requires the overall height of the socket to increase, thereby increasing the overall material cost, as well as the area required to house the connection system.
Thus, the object of the invention is to provide the advantages of the alignment plate and the overall protection which it provides with a low-profile outline of a connection system.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals. The housing provides a protective shroud around the terminals. An alignment plate is movable along the terminals in a mating direction of the terminals when mated with a complementary electrical connector. The terminals being mounted in an array on a printed circuit board, with the housing being attached to the printed circuit board. The alignment plate is movable from a first position adjacent to free ends of the terminals, to a second position adjacent the printed circuit board.
The connector further comprises locating elements on the alignment plate and on the protective shroud to position the alignment plate relative to the terminals. The locating elements can comprise locating lugs on the alignment plate, and channels surrounding a perimeter of the protective shroud profiled to receive the lugs. The alignment plate also includes stand-off features to hold the plate portion of the alignment plate slightly up off of said printed circuit board.
The electrical connector further comprises a latching element to latch the alignment plate in the first position. The electrical connector can also further comprise posts extending upwardly from the alignment plate for alignment with a complementary connector when mated to prevent misalignment.
In another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector assembly, comprises a socket connector comprising a plurality of socket terminals being mounted in an array on a printed circuit board; an insulative socket housing providing a protective shroud around the terminals; and an alignment plate being movable along the terminals in a mating direction of the terminals, the alignment plate being movable from a first position adjacent to free ends of the terminals, to a second position adjacent the printed circuit board. A mating plug connector comprises a plug housing profiled for mating reception in the protective shroud; and a plurality of plug terminals electrically connectable with the socket terminals.
The socket terminals are profiled as a plurality of posts upstanding from the printed circuit board. The plug housing has a front mating face with apertures complementarily located to receive the socket posts. The alignment plate further comprises insulative aligning posts upstanding therefrom and extending outwardly, and the plug housing front mating face including alignment openings to receive the aligning posts. The aligning posts extend out a distance greater than the socket terminal posts.
The plug and socket connectors have latching detents cooperatively provided on the socket and plug housings to temporarily hold the housings together in an unmated condition. The detents are provided on exterior endwalls of the plug housing, and on interior endwalls of the socket housing. The detents are so positioned on the socket and plug housings such that when the housings are held by the detents, the aligning posts are partially inserted in respective alignment openings, but the socket and plug terminals are disengaged.
The electrical connector assembly further comprises a latching assembly cooperatively provided by the socket housing and the alignment plate to latch the alignment plate in the first position. The plug housing includes a disengagement element to disengage the latching assembly, to allow the alignment plate to be moved to the second position by the movement of the plug housing.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector, comprises a plurality of socket terminals being mounted in an array on a printed circuit board; an insulative shroud around the terminals; and an alignment plate being movable along the terminals in a mating direction of the terminals, the alignment plate being movable from a first position adjacent to free ends of the terminals, to a second position against the printed circuit board.
The electrical connector further comprises locating elements on the alignment plate and on the protective shroud to position the alignment plate relative to the terminals. The electrical connector further comprises a latching element to latch the alignment plate in the first position. The electrical connector further comprising posts extending upwardly from the alignment plate for alignment with a complementary connector when mated to prevent misalignment.